Wichita eagle., 1887-09-28

| O0iS ueCu ny IUydity. SOuueCeCO viii
each dining room was closet called
the vome;arium-a1 essential in every well
regulated house In the days when gluttony
was considered an attribute OF virtue
To this novel appendage, when appetite
was fully satiated the Roman Noble re
tired and quickly proceeded to bring on {
premature attack of sea sickness, which
lasted for but moment, when he returned
to the table as serene as bishop and resum
| ed the stufting process. Such buzzard like
habits, II persisted 10, would enfeetle any
race and render them an easy prey tC
nations whose abstemiousness from luxur
tous habits melted to vigilance and aggres
siveness.
The word Basilica Is one often heard ir
Rome. and as 1t Is as full of meaning as an
egg is of meat will describe 1t In Prof
Forbes own words. 1.-The Basilica was
the hall of justice and consisted Of a
tribunal, nave and aisles. Its form was
oblong and the middle was an open space
which we call the nave. On each side of
this were rows of pillars which formed the
aisles. The end of the nave was curved
and was called the tribunal, from causes or
complaints being heard there. A rail sep
arating the tribunal from the body Of the
hall was called Cancelli, because 1t was of
open work. Notfar from the entrance was
round stone in the pavement on which
the prisoner stood to be tried. Between the
judges seat on the tribunal and
the rails stood the Altar of
Apollo. These halls were likewise
used by business men as places of exchange.
Being the largest halls the Romans had,
the form of them was copied by the early
christians for their churches. The judges
seat gave place to the bishops throne; the
altar of apollo to the commission table; the
cancelli to the chancel and the foundation
in the court in front to the holy water
basins, and so the name was handed down
and given to Christian churches, though
there is not q church In Rome tut was
once pagan qasilica, or hall of justice.
Many of the so-called basilicas are not true
basiicas for they have Introduced the
transept to give them the form of cross.
This | have observed is true Of st. Pet
ers and in fact all the great cathedrals of
Europe. The basalica of the Palatine
hills occupies the same spot OF q former
one, where Nero sat In judgment when
Paul took his appeal unto Caesar himself.
Before ascending the flight OF stairs In
Caligula's palace, leading to garden that
was once the reservoir containing the
water supply of the Palatine, we were
pointed out the vestibule where Caligula,
the tyrant, was assassinated.
Juding from the extensive ruins of no less
than nine public bath houses one would
conclude that the pagan Romans esteemed
cleanliness In the same ratio as the Chris
tian Roman regards Goodness. All baths
of modern days pale into insignifcance
when compared with the extent, grandeur
and convenience of these old Roman baths
Take for instance the one called the baths
of Caracalla, which we inspected. They
were begun by the emperor Caralla In the
year 212. The baths proper were 1,720
feet long by 375 feet wide, surrounded by
pleasure gardens and embellished hand
some]y. One thousand six hundred people
could be accommodated at one time with
hot or cold baths. An immense collection
of superb works Of art were discovered in
these baths when the excavations were
made, which we had the pleasure Of seeing
in the vaticsn museum.
Skipping over the balance of this days
sight seeing, We commenced our second
days rambles with an inspection of the old
Roman forum. The word forum as ap
piled to Roman antiquities signifies an open
market place, and there were several of
these in the city, but when Rome occupied
only the Palatne aud Cspitoline hills with
the intervening territory, she could boast
of but this one forum. It was surrounded
by temples and public buildings. Its d.
mansions were $50 feet long by 1855, wild
ening to 420 feet.
Here were enacted some of
the most stirring events in the
lives of the early Romans. Here stood
The temple of Vesta, the temple Of Janus,
The temple or Saturn, the temple tomb Of
Julius Caesar, the Basilica Julia, the Ros-
ira Julia, the senate chamber and many
other notable buildings which space foi bids
mentiop. The temple Of Vesta was globu
lar In I'm to represent the earth, and con-
tanned the palladium and holy fire. The
vestal virgins were the custodians. They
were six in number and were bound to
their duties for term of thirty years If
one became recreant to her trust and broke
her vow she was doomed to that "stufy"
death of being burned alive. Plutarch
says they were ten years in being in
structed In their duties, ten years they
practiced them, and ten years they passed
In instructing others" 1t is only surmise
on my part, but taking the VEIL" IS prac-
iced in the Catholic denomination, bears
traces Of pagan ancestry in as marked
degree as the basilica form of arrange.
nents in their cathedrals
The temple of Janus 1 discovered was
not the grand and lofty edifce conceived by |
ne TO be in my schooldays. l have a !
clear recollection of passage In my old |
log cared Parley's history abiding to q |
reaty Of peace, that the doors of |
he temple of Janus had not been closed |
'or 500 years" and again abiding to dec
aration of war, "the doors of the temple
If james were again suDg wide open"
The temple, or more properly speaking,
he shrine of Janus as represented to Us
vas no larger than one Of Daisy's upright
water carts. 1t had two doors facing east
md west, that remained closed In time of
,eace and open while the Roman legions
we're at war. It contained the bronze
igure of man with two fsces-hence our
ignificant term, Janus faced"
The temple of Saturn was the treasury
,uilding-all that remains of it are eight
handsome Ionic columns. On the steps Of
his temple 1t was the custom to administer
n "affidavy" to the generals, setting forth
hat the spoils of war taken by them had
,een properly accounted for. know some
GENERALS who would have been badly left if
hey had been subjected to the same ordeal
n the treasury steps st Washington. The
emple tomb of Julius Cesar stood On the
pot where his body was reduced to ashes
4 the forum The Basilica Julia was
,uilt by Julius Caesar and named for his
IL 1